nada’s notes June 2013

*when your world has only done you wrong and all you find yourself is all alone and if there’s no one there to see you through i’ll be there for you… and in your darkest hour i’ll be light i’ll be your beacon through the longest night

happy sweet sixteen: sixteen weeks of summer has begun. [clap hands.] i love that although the first official day of summer is not until june 21, in these parts we claim the season to begin about a full month earlier. and yet, no one’s rushing to usher autumn in any sooner than late september when the calendar says so. we long islanders are such control freaks. but, life is indeed better in the summer.

the local theaters are full of interesting performances. both amateurs and professionals mount works meant to uplift, inspire and maybe even challenge their audiences. on the musical side, this is the season when all the stars come out to illuminate our stages. visual stimulation can be found everywhere just as easily. mother nature of course comes into full bloom, but so do our art venues. galleries that close for the summer throw their doors open, festivals come around and lots of strange artsy affairs pop up spontaneously. the water temperature rises and with it, the availability of water activities for us to enjoy, like surfing, scuba, windsurfing and fishing. boat lovers unite at regattas and local races. horse lovers rejoice at polo matches, riding competitions and even leisurely trail rides. and golfers swing for dollars to raise money for their favorite organizations at charity outings. this lineup of summer favorites, along with a few others, is the meat of our annual summer almanac. it’s flush with where to go to enjoy it all, who’s doing it and how to get started. we hope the return of the almanac inspires as much fun for you as it did for us putting it together.

speaking of golf and boats and horses, a few other pieces focus on the spectatorship of these pastimes. brett mauser’s wild curves affirms sebonack golf club’s beautiful and elusive design and breaks down the obstacles its challengers will face when the us women’s open takes to it this month. luxe bateaux composites four of the most exciting craft to hit the waters in the under 40 foot class. jason molinet profiles horse whisperer linda rice—in his and they’re off jason plucks at what makes the trainer extraordinaire tick. as a sort of fellow to that piece, aileen jacobson’s making hay looks at our island’s connection to the equine world through sport, like at belmont, the hampton classic and various polo events.

of course, a summer issue wouldn’t be complete without a swimwear spread. a few months ago, while it was still dark and cold and gloomy on long island, a few of us escaped to the british virgin islands for work (ok, maybe a little play, too). we went down with wardrobe, staff, gear and crew in tow to capture this month’s fashion shoot. a soft, delicious blue breeze is what we felt the whole time, and the rendering of those feelings grace both our cover and the fashion spread bearing this title.

this issue is packed with the stuff of summer—everything you’ll want to do outdoors. and when you’re looking for a little down time, bring us with you for some leisurely reading. up in smoke is associate editor sal vaglica’s narration of those who translate southern style barbecue into “new york” and the tradition and equipment that goes with it. and jeff nichols, our self-depricator at large, returns with montauk caught. his almost-fiction work in this issue is the sordid tale of his fishing addiction, absconding a beating and implicating innocent customers in his quest to catch a cow. only jeff. only montauk.

Nada Marjanovich is Publisher and Editor of Long Island Pulse Magazine. Prior to founding the title in 2005, she worked extensively in the internet. She's been writing since childhood and has been published for both fiction and poetry.